At this moment, in the study.
"Xiyu, what's your college application plan?" Wu Zhaotian asked, following the script.
Job, without looking up, replied, "Either Ningyu Polytechnic or Xinmen University."
"Is that so? I've been looking at some university brochures these past few days, but Xinmen's admission score is way above the second-tier cutoff."
"We'll see how the exams go," Job said, glancing at her test paper. Her score wasn't particularly high, but it was within her expectations.
In real life, Job had given up on college after high school. On one hand, she knew her grades made it difficult to get into a decent university. On the other hand, she had always dreamed of becoming a race car driver. Of course, that path wasn't easy, but Job took pride in her driving skills, which were indeed impressive. However, before she could make a name for herself, she stumbled upon a horror movie poster and became an actor in real-life horror films.
Just then, Jiang Zhe suddenly stood up and said, "It's too much trouble for Lindsay to cook noodles for us. I'll go down and help her."
With that, he walked toward the door. As he passed the staircase, he took out a piece of paper—notes he had jotted down during a college entrance exam lecture the previous week. Of course, that was the other "Jiang Zhe."
However, an inexplicable gust of cold wind swept through, and the paper in Jiang Zhe's hand flew out of the window, straight toward the neighboring house!
"This... this..." Jiang Zhe rushed to the windowsill, his face turning pale as he watched the scene unfold.
Of course, he had known this would happen. He was aware that this gust of wind would come. Now, the paper, filled with key points for the math exam, had flown into the open window of the neighboring house! The curtains were drawn, leaving only a small gap, and the paper had slipped right through it!
The rules of this horror film strictly prohibited entering the neighboring house outside of scripted scenarios. Conversely, once the script required entry, there was no choice but to comply—no redemption coupons could be used to avoid it.
But once he entered, he would never return.
What happened inside, however, remained a mystery to him, as that period was primarily from the protagonist's perspective.
Even knowing this, Jiang Zhe had no choice. He had to retrieve the paper, which had been blown into the neighboring house. Not doing so would result in an NG. Of course, the others knew this too. His only chance of survival was to rent a cursed object, but as a new actor with limited redemption coupons, he couldn't afford it. Fortunately, earlier that morning, Edith had sent him a scripted message: "Actor Edith is willing to provide remote personal protection during the second act, fifth scene, for a fee of 20 redemption coupons. Do you accept?"
In truth, 20 redemption coupons for Edith's protection wasn't just a bargain—it was practically a giveaway. But Edith also knew that new actors had few redemption coupons and even fewer opportunities to earn them. Even 20 coupons were precious. Having been a newcomer herself, Edith understood their struggles. Besides, saving him would also earn her a decent number of redemption coupons. After all, rescuing minor, expendable characters yielded higher rewards, as they were the most likely to die in horror films. In contrast, saving major characters, who were protected by plot armor, earned fewer coupons. Thus, there was no need to charge more.
This was one of the ways Edith differed from Carol. She often considered others in her actions, never solely focused on her own interests. It was precisely because of this that every actor who had risen from being a newcomer in the Thirteenth Hell Cinema held her in deep gratitude.
Thanks to Edith's promise of remote protection, Jiang Zhe felt a sense of calm. For him, 20 redemption coupons in exchange for his life was an incredible bargain. From the bottom of his heart, he was filled with gratitude toward Edith.
With that, he quickly rushed downstairs.
The others upstairs, seeing him walk out so composedly, guessed that Edith must have agreed to protect him—and likely hadn't charged much. While it was customary not to overcharge new actors, 20 redemption coupons was unusually low. In truth, Edith didn't care about the coupons. Her sole purpose was to reassure the new actor, preventing panic-induced NG. In fact, she was the only one who would charge as little as 20 coupons; someone like Job would demand at least 50.
After a while, Edith finished cooking the noodles in the kitchen. Carrying the pot, she headed upstairs. Upon arriving, she "noticed" Jiang Zhe was missing and immediately asked, "Where's Jiang Zhe? Where did he go?"
Wu Zhaotian was the first to respond. "Huh? Didn't you see him?"
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhe had already reached the neighboring house. His heart pounded as he hesitated for a long moment before finally raising his hand to knock on the door. To his surprise, the door wasn't locked, and he stepped inside.
"Um... excuse me, is anyone here? Hello? Is anyone home?"
What happened after entering the house was a complete blank in the script, leaving Jiang Zhe free to improvise. However, his legs were trembling so badly that he could barely stand. If it weren't for the script's directive and Edith's remote protection through her mediumistic abilities, he would never have dared to enter. The rules of the ghost cinema, imprinted in his mind, were absolute. When he had first picked up the poster, his body had begun to fester and rot, and only by fully accepting and swearing to abide by the cinema's rules did the decay stop. Otherwise, he would have dissolved into a pool of pus. After being thrust into this horror film, his body had miraculously healed. Thus, he knew the curse's will was unyielding and infallible. If Edith failed to protect him, violating their agreement, she too would die.
This was the first time since entering the film and assuming the role of "Jiang Zhe" that he had faced such genuine danger. He was acutely aware that three NGs meant death, and his body would rot away once more, leading to a gruesome end. With no other choice, he had to take the risk.
"Jiang Zhe? Jiang Zhe, where are you?"
As Edith searched room by room, she also sensed Jiang Zhe's presence in the neighboring house. According to the script, Jiang Zhe had "forgotten" his phone on the table, making it impossible to contact him. Through her mediumistic connection, Edith could fully experience Jiang Zhe's sensations and pain. If he were injured, she would feel the pain, though no wounds would appear on her body. Even if Jiang Zhe died, she wouldn't suffer significant harm. Of course, whether Jiang Zhe lived or died, she would still earn her 20 redemption coupons.
What was Jiang Zhe doing now? So far, Edith hadn't sensed any danger, indicating he was still safe. The house was likely pitch dark, and according to the script, Jiang Zhe had only entered the unlocked living room. After that, the perspective shifted to the protagonist, Lindsay. From then on, Jiang Zhe's character would never appear again. Edith couldn't follow him into the neighboring house and could only protect him remotely through her mediumistic abilities.
"No, he's not here."
Carol, Wu Zhaotian, Job, Eamonn, and Qian Xiaoxue had all gathered in the downstairs living room, speaking in unison: "We can't find him!"
Eamonn suggested, "Maybe he went home already?"
Carol waved Jiang Zhe's phone. "His phone's still here. Besides, even if he left, he should've said something. Could he have gone outside?"
"Damn it!" Wu Zhaotian slapped his forehead. "Haven't there been a series of disappearances around here lately? Let's all go out and look for him!"
Edith nodded. "Alright, let's go search for him."
At that moment, Carol pointed at her and said, "Lindsay, you stay here alone. Jiang Zhe might come back while we're out. We'll handle the search. Let's go, everyone!"
And so, the group split up. The others went out to look for Jiang Zhe, though of course, they wouldn't find him—this was all part of the act. Edith, meanwhile, sat alone on the living room sofa, now able to focus entirely on her sensing.
Jiang Zhe had been inside the neighboring house for nearly ten minutes.
From the start, she had felt an unshakable chill creeping through her body. This was no illusion. It had to be Jiang Zhe's current state. Perhaps the cold was part of the horror film's atmosphere, or maybe it was Jiang Zhe's fear manifesting physically.
Several more minutes passed. Though there was still no clear sense of danger, the cold grew increasingly intense. She began to suspect it was Jiang Zhe's terror causing the chill; otherwise, she would have sensed some impending threat by now.
In her mind, she silently urged him: I don't know your real name, but as a new actor, you must fight to survive. I can only help you so much—your own willpower is what will carry you through. If you endure this, you'll make it. If you fail, you'll die, and you'll be forgotten. So, fight to live!
Edith understood better than anyone how brutal survival could be, especially in this ghost cinema. It was a place where even compassion grew numb, a slaughterhouse where human strength was pushed to its limits. All they could do was struggle to survive. Edith had been the same during her early days. Many envied her mediumistic constitution, but few knew how many times she had teetered on the edge of life and death, narrowly escaping disaster.
Just then, she suddenly felt her right hand gripped tightly by another!
But there was nothing there. So... it was Jiang Zhe who was truly being seized!